Poll

Government

County officials are asking the public to weigh in as it begins to gather information for a strategic plan.
Deputy County Administrator Jeffery Naftal said county officials have developed a survey as part of the county’s strategic planning process. He said it’s important council members hear directly from residents about the needs of the county.
The survey, which features about 20 questions, asks about county services and departments, sales and property taxes and county funding. The idea is to learn which priorities the public deems the most important.

County officials are asking the public to weigh in as it begins to gather information for a strategic plan.
Deputy County Administrator Jeffery Naftal said county officials have developed a survey as part of the county’s strategic planning process. He said it’s important council members hear directly from residents about the needs of the county.
The survey, which features about 20 questions, asks about county services and departments, sales and property taxes and county funding. The idea is to learn which priorities the public deems the most important.

INDIAN LAND – An Indian Land businessman is considering running for the District 16 state Senate seat.
Brian Carnes, a lifelong Lancaster County resident and former school board member, is looking at possibly running for the seat, which is soon to be vacated by Republican Mick Mulvaney.
Mulvaney bested Democratic incumbent John Spratt for the 5th Congressional District seat earlier this month and will soon be heading to Washington, D.C.

More than 50 current and past Lancaster County Emergency Medical Services workers are suing the county for overtime pay they say they’re owed.
In a suit filed in federal district court last month, EMS workers claim the county violated the national Fair Labor Standards Act. The class-action suit claims the county owes EMS employees money for years of unpaid overtime compensation.

Mark Knight hopes a new water storage project will protect Lancaster County during a water emergency.
Knight, manager of the Lancaster County Water and Sewer District, is promoting the creation of a new raw water storage reservoir in the county. The reservoir will be built at the site of the Catawba River water treatment plant, as part of a joint venture between the district and Union County, N.C.
Knight said the district realized the need for more water storage after severe drought conditions affected the area in recent years.

A new ordinance may soon allow more planned development districts in the county.
County Council gave first reading on Nov. 9 to an ordinance to decrease the minimum acreage amount for PDDs from 150 to 2 acres. A PDD, such as Sun City Carolina Lakes in Indian Land, is a zoning designation that combines both residential and commercial properties.
Council tabled the ordinance in July as it wanted more information.

Expect more drug searches and safety checks at area high schools in the near future.
Bryan Vaughn, director of safety and transportation for Lancaster County School District, gave the school board an update Tuesday on those plans and other safety measures.
The district has become “quite sensitive” to drugs and wants to eliminate their presence on school campuses, Vaughn said.

HEATH SPRINGS – Construction is expected to start next month on the new station for the Heath Springs Volunteer Fire Department.
Heath Springs Fire Chief Patrick Helms updated Town Council on the project Tuesday.
Bobbitt Design Build was awarded the contract to design and build the new station, a 10,250-square-foot facility located on Duncan Street. The station is being funded by a Fire Station Construction Grant (SCG) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

KERSHAW – Kershaw Town Council heard a plan to open a new medical office downtown.
Chris Dixon, Sandhills Medical Foundation’s chief financial officer, outlined the plan and requested a letter of support from council Monday to submit with an upcoming federal grant application, which is due Dec. 17.
Sandhills offers medical care to anyone, with sliding-scale fees as low as $25, keyed to the patient’s ability to pay.

A local congregation is breathing a sigh of relief now that County Council has given first approval to a zoning change.
More than 30 members of Trinity Baptist Church, who are trying to relocate their church from Fort Mill to a former Van Wyck cabinet shop on Steele Hill Road, packed the audience at County Council’s meeting Tuesday.